Barber&#39;s apron.



D. MCLEODJ BARBERS APRON.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-l0, 19H.

1,26 1,575. Patented Apr. 2, 1918.

DONALD MOLEOD, OF LANG LANG, CRANBOUBNE,- VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA.

BARBERS APRON.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 2, 1918.

Application filed August 10, 1917. Serial No. 185,501.

To all whom it may) concern:

Be it known that I, DONALD MoLnom a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, and a resident of the postal town of Lang Lang, in the shire of Cranbourne,

county of Mornington, State of Victoria,

Commonwealth of Australia, (whose postoflice address is the postal town of Lang *Lang,) have invented certain new and 'useful Improvements in and connected with Barbers Aprons, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the cutting of human hair and has for its object to provide means for collecting the removed hair i as it falls from the head in order that it may not fall to the ground according tothe present practice. K

The present practice of surrounding the shoulders of a person with a cloth covering is objectionable as the hair as it is removed or out drops onto the covering and from there to the floor, the hair WhlCh remains upon the covering being shaken gfi when the covering is removed. This is insanitary and also entails labor and expense in continually washing the covering. The periodical sweeping of the floor to remove the hair also entails labor and in addition causes dust and hair to rise thereby contaminating the atmosphere.

According to the present invention I provide a light and durable cape or covering adaptable to fit any person and which can be folded into a small space when not in use. This cape which can be repeatedly used, saves the necessity of frequently washing the covering. It not only protects the shoulders from the falling ofi'cuts of hair, but is also adapted to discharge them into a gutter which surrounds its lower edge. Thus the hair does not drop onto the floor and the work of sweeping and consequent pollution of the atmosphere is obviated. With the cape a removable collar of cloth or other flexible material is used to surround its uper end and the neck of the person to which 1t is'applied. This collar may be washed or a new one used after each person. Pro- 'v ision is also made in one form of the invention for-removing the front portion of the gutter to permit of ingress to and egress from the. chair, in which the subject sits. Other features of understood from the following description, and defined in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings which form a part of this specification Figure 1 shows a plan of a cape composed of a series of metallic or other segments. The cape 1s shown expanded as when in use.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan of a gutter used with the cape seen in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a front sectional elevation of the cape shown in Figs. 1 and 2 situated in posltion above the gutter seen in Fig. 3. A collecting box is also shown in posltion beneath a chute through which the hair is discharged from the gutter.

Fig. 5 is a front view partly in section of a preferred embodiment of the invention in which the cape is made of a suitable flexible material the gutter being integral with or attached to its lower edge.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of an inner rigid collar.

Fig. 7 is a similar view of an outer flexible collar.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing the invention (as illustrated in Fig. 5) in use.

The invention includes a collapsible or foldable cape which may be formed as seen in Figs. 1, 2, and 4 from a series of metallic or other rigid connected segments 2, or, as seen in Figs. 5 and 8, it may consist of a single length of flexible or semi-flexible material 3. This may be of fabric, leather, or any other suitable material of such a character that it may be rolled or folded up when not in use, but has suificient rigidity to maintain its correct shape when in operative position. In all cases the cape preferably has a smooth or glazed outer surface so that hair falling thereupon immediately glides downwardly and off the cape. The front the invention will be fully meeting ends 4 of the cape are connected preferably elliptical in plan to clear the edges of the segments pass.

- sired, be detachable.

Shoulders and permit movement of the arms of the wearer. The neck hole 5 is large enough to freely pass the neck of any wearer.

When the cape is of the segmental construction seen in Fig. 1 the two front se ments may be provided at thelr upper en s with flaps 7 which are adapted to fall 1nwardly upon the chest of the wearer-and permit free movement of the neck and chin.

To protect the neck agamst the upper edges of the connected segments an inner rigid collar, such as seen in Fig.3, is used. This is connected at 8 and has inclined sides 9 forming a gullet 10, into which the upper An upper rounded edge 11 is thus presented to the neck of the wearer.

With both types of cape an outer flexible collar such as seen in Fig. 7 is used. This is of cloth or other suitable flexible material and is provided with an inner vertical fold 12 which is tucked around the neck and inside the garment collar of the wearer and an outer inclined fold 13 which passes over the outside of the inner rigid collar and the capeas seen in Fig. 8. This flexible collar prevents hair falling down the wearers neck and may be removed and washed or replaced by a new one after each use.

Attached to the chair 14 by any suitable means such as extensions or supports 15 (Figs. 3 and 4) is an annular gutter 16 which is referably formed with inclined sides 17, t e inner side conforming to the inclination of the cape. The said gutter is provided with a removable front portion 18 (Fig. 3) which fits within and is supported by the fixed portion of the gutter.

Instead of the gutter 16 being attached to the chair it may be carried by the cape as seen in Figs. 5 and 8. In this case the cape and the gutter are formed ofa suit- ;able flexible material as before mentioned, the whole being capable of rolling up or collapsing when not in use.

Through the bottom of the gutter and at the rear thereof is an opening 19 from which leads a chute 21. This may, if de- Beneath the chute a collecting box or receptacle 22 is placed.

When not in use the cape may be folded or rolled into a small space. When a hair cutting operation is to be performed with the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 4: the customer or subject enters the chair and the removable front portion 18 of the gutter is placed in position. The cape is then passed around his shoulders, the meeting ends being connected together by the fasteners 6 and the lower edge overlapping and resting upon the inner side of the gutter. The inner rigid collar is then passed over the upper edge of the cape and) the inner vertical fold 12 of the outer flexible collar is tucked around the neck of the wearer, the outer inclined fold 13 passing-outside the inner collar and surrounding the upper portion of the cape. The hair offcuts fall upon the cape and from there into the gutter. When the hair cutting operation is completed the ofieuts are swept around the gutter to the opening 19 at the rear thereof and fall through the chute 21 into the collecting receptacle 22. The cape and the front portion 18 of the gutter may then be removed and the subject is free to pass out of the chair.

When the flexible cape seen in Figs. 5 and 8 is used, the subject sits in the chair and the cape and gutter are passed around the back of the chair and fastened at the front of the wearer asshown. The inner fold 12 of the flexible collar is then tucked around the neck of the wearer and the inclined fold 13 overlaps the top of the cape as before.

It will be seen that the invention provides an arrangement which is sanitary and convenient and dispenses with the necessity of sweeping up the hair from the floor and the washing entailed by the use of the ordinary calico or like covering at present in use.

It will be obvious that various modifications and alterations of the constructions illustrated and described maybe efl'ected without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is I 1. A device of the class described comprising a conical apron consisting of a plurality of collapsible sections the ends of said apron overlapping, means for securing the overlapping ends of the apron, a fixed gutter at the bottom of the apron, means for rigidly'supporting the gutter, a chute depending from the gutter, and a detachable collar fitting over the upper edge of the.

apron.

2. A device of the class described comprising an apron, a fixed gutter open at the front and located at the bottom of the apron, a detachable section at the front of the gutter, the opposite ends of the detachable section overlapping and fitting in the open ends of the fixed section, and a chute communicating with the gutter.

3. A device of the class described, comprising an apron formed of collapsible sections, the ends of said apron overlapping, means for connecting the overlapping ends of the sections, flaps at the upper ends of the apron, a fixed gutter surrounding the collar fitted over the inner collar, a rigid lower end of the apron, and means for pergutter section open at its front and located 10 manently supporting the gutter. at the bottom of the apron, and a front de- 4. A device of the class described comf tachable gutter section the ends of which 5 prising an apron, the ends of which overlap, fit in and register with the open ends of means for fastenmg the overlapping ends of the fixed gutter section. L the apron, an inner detachable collar to cm In testimony whereof I aifix my signature. 15 gage the upper edge of the apron, an outer DONALD MoLEOD. 

